Mental Training

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MENTAL TRAINING

The following is a series of articles...short...on Mental Training by Dick Whiting. Each will build on the previous articles. We hope you get something out of these articles, and if you do...let me know. I hope you enjoy them

Mental Training Lesson 1

If you can remember, write your name, worry, or tie your shoe, you can succeed in the shooting game, as a matter of fact just about anything you care to do. Visualizing...creative mental imaging (picturing) is no more difficult than what you do when you remember some scene out of your past, or worry about the future.

What is mental imaging? It is learning through doing. For example, I know an individual who can sit through an episode of True Grit or Crossfire Trail, muted, and recite the entire scripts word for word.

The same is true when we practice, we start by groping our way along...and as we do, we make corrections to achieve the objective one step at a time. For example, putting on a sling correctly, or setting up a spotting scope correctly, or loosening our belt line to make breathing easier in sitting rapid. Same thing as when we, as a young child started to walk, talk, or tie our shoes. We learned though years of daily practice, and as we continued to practice, we get better and we could draw on those past exercises which were remembered. Remember that word.

The more we practice the more we remember and the powers of recall are enhanced. But...we want to remember how we did it correctly...not how we did it wrong. Once we learn from them, forget the mistakes...and work on performing each step correctly. Our greatest asset as a shooter is to remember from one day to the next what it is like to shoot an X, then repeat it over and over again.

Remembering takes a great deal of data being fed into our memory banks...to support our every move. After a few years of stumbling around as a child, we learned not to walk into doors, or walls, or touch something hot. Most of those who have ever put their hand on a hot stove...can vividly remember that sensation and how long it took them to look at the stove door.

The same holds true for anything we do...shoot an X, remember...and do it again, and again...and again...but shoot a 7, we analyze why and then forget it.

An Olympic Gold Medalist once said when asked about some nines he had shot in a high level tournament, "What 9s?" "I don't remember the 9s, and why should I?" We learn to analyze our performance through mental imaging...but only if we practice regularly. The human mind is just like a tape recorder...we can mechanically erase the bad and save the good. Our minds work the same way, so we can then use the good to build our egos, confidence, and what is known as "self image". Humans are uniquely gifted with this thing we call self image...and if we like what we see, we succeed, if we don't, we tend toward failure. Look in the mirror...do you like what you see?

In the next article we will explore this thing called self image and what it takes to change our self image from a failure mode to a success mode.

Winning is an Attitude

Some say that Vince Lombardi said, “Winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing.” What he actually said was, “Winning isn’t everything, striving to win is.” We may never reach our goal, but we strive daily toward perfection. it's an attitude thing.

Winning…is the sole reason for competition. If we are in it to lose, then why partake. To the Gladiators, it was a matter of life and death. Those who engage in running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain have a ‘sharply’ defined incentive to run faster than the bulls. For the rifle shooter there are lots of incentives that entice individuals to get involved and strive for the ‘Golden Ring’, ergo DR Badge. But, how do we succeed as competitors? We start at the very beginning of life, the day we were born…and a time when we were competitors. We had an incentive to breath…and we still do, but the process does not require conscious though. As we grew, we experienced many set backs, a few bumps on the butt and noggin while trying to stand, or walk those few halting steps, or while eating try not to punch our eye out with a fork…so Mom gave us a spoon. We learn quickly how the spoon can be effective in launching peas or other unsuitable foods. Success…and we learned by it…even if a spanking came with the fun.

We learned in steps, gradually over a long period of time just what we needed to do and what not to do, like touching something that was hot, or swinging off the draperies, or carrying around sharp objects. In any event, you get the picture. Some of us, as it turned out, became great runners, others became doctors, others lawyers, and still others electricians, plumbers, nurses, or workers on an assembly line. Each getting very good at what we did and perhaps still do. Here is where practice and training pays off. Do something often enough and you will become proficient at it…perhaps not a world class swimmer, or diver, or a runner or high jumper, or an excellent shooter, but you will be good at it. I witnessed a young soldier once putting charges on mortar shells…he was not only fast, but accurate. He had achieved his goal…to be the best mortar squad in the company and/or division. To each his own…I suppose.

One of my favorite training tools is the pencil. Exercise: Pick one up and write your name, no not on the wall, on a piece of paper. Go ahead…it doesn’t hurt. Now, explain in writing the mechanics involved with this exercise. This may take a while, so I will shorten the process. One cannot precisely explain the mechanics involved, because they are practiced and involuntary…they are part of our subconscious. What told our fingers how to pick up the pencil, versus what fingers to use as the pencil is manipulated around the page? We don’t have to look at a pencil to pick it up, or the piece of paper, or any object for that matter. It is our automatic system working for us. Just as I type this, I can do so without looking at the keyboard, after over 14 years using a typewriter or desktop, it has become practiced motion…muscle memory if you will. When a person gets into a car, and starts the engine, they are performing as they have practiced for how many years? The same fundamentals are applicable to shooting. If we shot every day, like we practice writing, then our shooting skills would be high master in short order…or would they? Some of us can use a pencil or pen, but few can write legibly…but again, that isn’t the point, practice is.

But, you say…there are the David Tubb’s of the shooting world…I can never expect to shoot better scores than he can. Not true. You can, if you set your goals so that they are attainable. First, however, one has to learn what it feels like to win. To get that winning feeling. Trial, error, applause, encouragement, training, and setting realistic goals. What is a goal? For the rank beginner…it may be to keep all shots on the target backer, a 6 by 6 foot square piece of cardboard, and for the Marksman, keep all shots in the scoring rings. For the high master keep all shots in the ten and X rings. These are goals…and I like to refer to them as ‘ring’ goals. If you are beginning as a new shooter or are a seasoned veteran…goal orientation is important. Why does a person who has won the National Championships need to set goals? To win another…and another…and another. How do they do that? By thinking about shooting, by conducting mental and physical practice sessions, and by having the best rifle and ammo combination that is available on the firing line. The best is a rifle and ammo capable of shooting X ring groups across the course.

I have said this before, and will continue to say it…’Life is too short to shoot bad ammo or a bad rifle.’ This we have debated to some degree here on this forum…yet I still see posts that say, “Well, the ammo is good enough for my level of shooting.” Not unless it is the best. I know that price is a factor in this game, but if you want to excel, you cannot sacrifice along the way. If you do, it will catch up to you and may cause the loss of self esteem and confidence.

 

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I read a recent post about a bad match that a person shot and he said he couldn’t get it out of his mind. When I shoot a bad match, it is the first thing I forget. To dwell on a poor execution in one match or even two or three matches is the kiss of death for a competitive shooter. Lanny Basham related the story about a person who asked him about a match he fired a few years back, and asked him about the two nines he shot. Lanny questioned, “Why should I remember two bad shots?” So then, why should anyone remember a bad match, forget it and work towards your goal(s). The match is history, and absolutely nothing can be done about it. Remembering it, or worrying about it, will do only one thing…keep the shooter in the lower ranks or fretting so that when they go to another match the same thing is likely to happen…why? Because one’s thinking process is an input device to our subconscious. Feed in good information, get good information out.
I can’t tell you when I last shot a seven in competition. Why? Simple, it was a bad shot, it was analyzed, and forgotten. Next shot 10 or X. Remember the good shots, good matches, and work on your stated goals.

To achieve a particular goal requires a plan. When we travel, it is very often by the seat of our pants, because our travel plan has been worked out repeatedly over many years. But, this time we are going to some far away place where we have never been before. Out comes the maps, open up the computer and get a route plan in order. We now have a plan. That plan tells us approximately how long will it take to get there, and what routes are the most direct?

The same holds true for shooting or living our lives everyday…we have to have a PLAN. A plan that is on paper with stated objectives and goals. The first objective is to get ourselves the best equipment possible, one piece at a time…if necessary…and it may be necessary to buy small pieces at first so we can sneak them into the house. First, a nice mat, then a stool, then a scope stand w/scope, shooting glove, carbide lamp (service rifle shooters), suspenders for those of us who have ‘done lap’ disease, shooting coat, score record book, and the list goes on from there and in no particular order.

Having the best equipment is a confidence builder…something that you won’t have to worry about two or three years down the road. Learn how to use your equipment correctly, don’t work for your equipment. Where you place your spotting scope is critical, as you do not want to strain muscles to look through the scope. This causes physical fatigue and such fatigue will play on your mental frame of mind.
Your subconscious will perform with no conscious effort on the part of the shooter. It is automatic, if you let it work for you.

Exercise: Comment, this is for both new and seasoned veterans. I see even good shooters fumbling around during their prep time, when they should be dry firing and settling into their position. Make wise use of your time, follow your check list. Then, you won’t feel rushed.

Practice getting into and out of the sitting position until it is automatic. You are teaching your muscles to remember. Sling is on, proper sling tension, sling frog/dog is positioned on outside of the arm, legs and arms positioned to provide maximum support, glove hand properly placed, sling arm relaxed to the hip, good tight grip on the pistol grip, and head aligned behind the sight. Develop a mental checklist that fits your technique and then follow it every time. Learn to get into the sitting or prone position in less than two minutes. Now, analyze the checklist and write down the steps that were left out of this check list? The missing steps will be posted in two or three days.

Being able to remember this check list is the key to performance on the range. Forgetting just one item, such as changing the sling length from the prone position to the sitting position can result in a bad group (loose sling). Or you are well into your three minute preparation period trying to change the hook on an already too tight sling…and your mental state goes south. By having your equipment and rifle ready so that you can get into your position quickly will pay big dividends. An organized mind will result in better scores.

A good example was something I did in team practice a couple of days a go. We shot the course backward. Left the 300 for 200 and counted off my elevation and windage. Put the elevation on for 200 and shot my first shot. Surprise…7 out at 9. Forgot to put true zero back on the rifle. A mental lapse. Yes, but if I had followed my check list…it wouldn’t have happened. We are all prone to mistakes that cost us points. In a CMP EIC match or the National Trophy Team match, such a shot would be hard to come back from, but it can be done, if you maintain your composure. So, don’t let that kind of mental lapse affect your score, and above all don’t curse yourself or the shot, let it go and shoot for the X ring. You can still shoot a 97 and that isn’t all that bad for standing. If you need to, write your check list down and the go over it until you have learned it thoroughly.

Remember, winning is an attitude you develop as you strive to achieve your goals. A bad attitude…we can expect poor scores…with a positive attitude…we will shoot good scores.

Exercise: Mentally picture in your mind what a target looks like with a pin wheel X staring back at you, and it was your first shot for record, in the President’s match. Hold that picture…for it will be the topic for the next episode.

From the last post...we forgot to put on a shooting glove and set up a scope. Sorry...I meant to do this earlier. But....

Imagination is Key to Successful Shooting

Your nervous system reacts appropriately to what you think or imagine to be true. Your nervous system cannot tell the difference between what is real or imagined (Psycho-Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz, MD). A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself or his shooting game. If you imagine yourself as a 450 shooter, you will be a 450 shooter regardless of how good your rifle/ammo combination is. You must think of yourself as a winner…a champion…a high master. You must believe you can perform at the higher levels…or it won’t happen. I have talked with shooters who have been Expert for 20 years…and no hope of moving up…because they do not see themselves as being a Master or High Master shooter. And, they are shooting the same rifle that other High Masters are using…indeed, some are actually using the T2K rifle and still remain on the lower classification rung. Why? Because they don’t believe in themselves. They lack the confidence that good scores can produce…or they simply won’t allow themselves to achieve success…largely because of some past experience that dictates that they are a failure or they don’t deserve to win or grow in the sport.

Humans have both a failure and a success mechanism…that is geared to fit the conditions placed on us. It is very simple, really…we can either win or lose…it is up to each individual to wipe the slate clean from past experiences, and start on the path to success.

I remember when my Grandmother used to tell us that, “Since we were born in West Virginia, we would not amount to a hill of beans.” We believed that for decades…until we learned that we could be successful in school, college, and our jobs, but this kind of input to your inner self will play hob with you for a time.

Someone once said that if you have a dream that can be vividly imagined, you can attain that dream. I once visited the Creedmoor facility in California…and above the owner’s desk was a fabulous picture of a large house and beautiful boat…and I asked him about it. He said, “That is my dream house…and boat…and one day I will build the house and have a nice boat.” Keeping your dream alive is imagination. Think too big, and it may not happen, think just right and it will. How does one know the difference in too big and just right? Well, it’s like reading the wind at Camp Perry. We miss it more than we hit it right…but when we do, we know it and one of our objectives is accomplished.

 

[dzelenka]

To be a good shooter, one must be able to dream…to imagine yourself standing on stage at the National Matches holding a National Trophy. I hear the old phrase, I am not good enough or I am not ready? Well, folks those are our failure mechanisms working on us. We are never really ready…we must take the initiative and just do it. Pardon the quote from Nike. Allow yourself to dream to imagine ourselves as being successful, and it is never too late to start. Hold a picture of yourself that you know is true…and keep it there for some time…and it will happen. You can overcome many obstacles in your life to shoot well…and if you can imagine yourself as a winner…it will be so. Set aside some time in your daily routine to work on your mental imagery, say 30 minutes each day when you can get away from the humdrum of daily life…somewhere secluded, alone, and undisturbed. Relax and practice your imagination…thinking about your shooting game…and what it takes to be a winner. You want your mental imagery to be as close to the real thing as possible. What you are doing is feeding good data into your subconscious mind…remembering that what you are doing is teaching your inner mind to remember what that center X looks like…what a good string of rapid fire looks like and so on.

In the late 50s, two teams of dart throwers were challenged to a dual. One team while preparing for the match threw darts for 21 days, while the other team thought about throwing darts for 21 days (by the way this was in England). This is a good example of what I have been saying all along, and why you should be thinking (every day) about your shooting game for at least 5 minutes. The team that thought about throwing darts won. The same can hold true for shooters…and Launi Meili (sp) said it best about her outstanding win in Barcelona, Spain. “I visualized the final shot to be a ten” (paraphrased)…and a ten was what came up. But, first she imagined or visualized the shot…then performed the mechanics to shoot a 10 and win the Gold Medal.

I left you last time with working on visualizing a center X. Get you a target center, paste it on some cardboard, put a spotter in the Center (the exact center)…and then look at it each day. Learn to visualize what that shot looks like when the target comes up. Visualize what it takes to shoot another shot and take out the spindle. Practice what it is like to see that X setting in the exact center of the target. Imagine you shooting that pinwheel X over and over again. Then go to the range and prove it can be done. If you can shoot one X, you can shoot all Xs…with practice.

Records are waiting for you.

 

[dzelenka]

Mental Discipline Part 4

It is difficult to write this segment, after having major gun problems at Camp Perry, but get back on that sorry old horse, I must. When things are down…don’t get down, reason it out and then consider the factors involved. Let’s just say that my experience at Camp Perry this year was a bad shot…which was gone in the ‘blink of an eye’.

Someone once said, “Take what you want, take it, and pay for it.” If you want to be a great shooter, you have to pay the price of practice. The great golfer Gary Player once had a fan come up and say, “I’d give anything to hit a golf ball like you.” Player looked the fan square in the eye and said, “No you wouldn’t...because do you know what it takes to hit a golf ball like I do? It takes hours of practice…for example, go out and hit a thousand balls, come back in, nurse the blisters and bleeding…and then go back out and hit another thousand balls. That is what it takes to hit a golf ball like I do.”

Are you willing to put this kind of effort into your shooting game? If not…why not?

The test for the rifle or pistol shooter, is are you willing to put in the many hours it takes, the days of patient practice, and study this game? Fellow shooters, it takes the mental fortitude to get out of bed each morning and go to work, and then off to the firing range or dry fire shed…not easy unless you have a plan.

In a celebrated case, Lanny Bassham reported to Fort Benning and his coach Bill Pullum, who instructed him to go to the range and dry fire. He did, and days went by, many days…and one day when the team was preparing for travel, Lanny asked Pullum if he should pack. Pullum looked at him and said, “Have I told you to quit dry firing?” The Coaches’ reply was that he would tell the shooter when they were ready to shoot and when to travel. Remember, Bassham was dry firing, he hadn’t fired a shot yet. A full month went by before Bassham was allowed to fire his first shot. How many of us are willing to put that amount of time in at the dry fire shed? Then when Bassham started training in earnest, he would fire several hundred rounds each day. That, friends, is what it takes to win an Olympic Gold Medal. Seeking the Distinguished Badge may not require that level of training…but then why not. If we want to excel at this game we call highpower, doesn’t the same level of commitment exist for us as well? Would we not be just as good as the top shooters, if we really trained?

When discussing preparations for the Nationals, David Tubb was asked at the NRA awards ceremony a couple of years back, “When do you start preparing for next year?” His answer, “When I get home.”

Now, if you are willing to put in the time needed to progress up the ladder, to work with your rifle and ammo to get the perfect combination...remembering that perfect is what we strive for...not necessarily what we achieve. You will achieve great things, and that goes for just about anything we do in our daily lives. Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything, striving to win is.”

So, to hold the keen edge of competition, keep your equipment and rifle in good condition, and make sure that even new rifles are performing up to par. Should you experience problems with rifle or ammo or both, go to the range and take as many of the human factors out as possible…shooting preferably from a bench rest, or you may opt to shoot a few strings from the prone position at 200. Either way, you will find out very quickly what is ailing…you…your rifle…your ammo…or a combination of all three. I referred to this in a previous post, but want to emphasize it once again…for it is a valuable tool to help keep you mentally sharp.

It never fails to amaze me when beginning shooters go for what they consider…’good enough for me’. Really? Oh, yes, I am only a Sharpshooter, and the ammo I shoot is good enough. Please folks, don’t fall into this trap. Use the best that you can afford, but make sure you can’t out shoot what you are using. Some service rifles, such as RRA, Armalite, DPMS, and others…right out of the box will shoot 490s with the right ammo. In many cases, ammo out of a factory box won’t do the trick, but some will. From what I have seen, Black Hills is putting out very good ammo and it shoots well. However, for my money a few thousand rounds of LC or Winchester brass is the base on which we can build some really good hand loads and it is less expensive.

Folks, I just had two relatively new shooters practicing on the Center and neither knew precisely how many rounds had been fired through their rifles. I put them into a prone position at 200 and had each of them fire a couple of groups. Both groups were about ten- ring in size…which is not really very good. Next, they had the throats of their rifles examined and found them shot out. So for them, new barrels are the order of the day…and they have now been instructed to keep accurate records of the rounds fired, and a score record book to document their progress. This one tool is so often overlooked, but is so important, because you have information at your finger tips on your personal performance…not necessarily score.

Planning and working your plan is also important, otherwise we can never find the time to get any practice in. For most, it requires 4 to 5 days of practice every week at a range or in a dry fire ‘shed’. More time should be spent dry firing there than on the range. One of our shooters for WV spent many hours in his basement dry firing…and only two or three times at the range. During the National Trophy Team match he placed 6th on the National Civilian Team winning his very first Elihu Root medal from CMP. He did it with a rifle from RRA, tuned by a competent armorer, and quality ammo.

Dry firing is one of the keys to successful shooting, but remember, after attending to this small detail, you must take to the ‘greens’ of your local range to test your mental conditioning in shoulder to shoulder competition. We can think about shooting, we can dry fire, but to still the butterflies of competition, we need to test our mettle on the firing line where every shot counts against good shooters…and with a rifle and ammo that you cannot out shoot.

What differentiates a Winner from a Loser?

The Winner is always striving to be in the top ten percent.
The Loser is always blaming his rifle and ammo, or the range officer.

The Winner perfects his ammo/firearm combination.
The Loser settles for the cheapest ammo on the shelf.

The Winner is always has a planned shooting program.
The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner always sees 10s and Xs regardless of the weather.
The Loser never sees anything but the wind and other weather conditions.

The Winner is always teaching others.
The Loser never has time to teach or train.

The Winner always sees the positive aspects.
The Loser always sees the negative aspects.

The Winner may find the weather difficult, but not impossible.
The Loser finds it may be possible, but too difficult.

The Winner always finds a way into the winner’s circle.
The Loser always finds it too difficult.

The Winner accepts each challenge as it comes.
The Loser quits with the first adverse challenge.

The Winner never loses…the Loser never wins.

To change from a Loser to a Winner is relatively easy. However, it takes time and commitment to the task of learning how to shoot a well aimed shot. It requires daily physical and mental training and the formation of a shooting plan. This plan sets forth goals with a specific date as to when a specific goal or objective will be accomplished, i.e., going Distinguished. If you never set a date specific, you will continue to muddle along. Put it on paper, put it on a poster and put it somewhere you can read it every day. Then, take the time to write down your goal each day. Keeping a specific goal in front of you keeps one motivated to achieve it. My goal for 2006 is to go Double Distinguished, just 18 points to go...and this goal is date specific...Camp Perry, Ohio 2006.

Establish a picture of yourself (in your mind) receiving your Gold Medal on stage at Camp Perry and practice seeing this mental image each and everyday. To do so, keep a pad of paper nearby and write down your goal each day. Remember, your mind cannot differentiate between what is real or imagined. If you can imagine shooting a 490, you can do it on the range. Always see yourself as a Winner, accepting the challenges as they come and keeping in mind that most of those who are shooting in the same match won’t meet the challenges head on because they have already given up, especially if the wind is blowing.

Mental Discipline is a State of Mind.

Richard "Dick" Whiting